Getting to know your instructor:
Russ Porter, known by his/her students as Mr. Russ began learning to play the piano at age 8.
“I cannot ever remember a time when singing was not part of my life. My earliest memory of music involve the times that I would ‘perform’ at family functions. I cherish my piano skills but I am passionate about singing”.
Mr. Russ knew that music would be a significant part of his life when “as a 9th grader, I became a member of the Arkansas All-State Choir. Later that year I received an invitation to audition for the America’s Youth In Concert, All-Nation Choir. Being a part of a choir that included singers from across America and a choir that allowed me to tour six European countries was an experience that I will never forget. It opened my eyes to the power of music and helped me realize that being part of a choir allows individuals to do more together than any one of us could do alone. It’s teamwork on steroids!
Mr. Russ studied at Ouachita Baptist University from 1974-1978 and received a Bachelor’s Church Music degree.
“I immediately enrolled for graduate studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX where in 1980 I received my Master’s degree in Church Music. For 24 years, I served as Minister of Music for Southern Baptist Churches in Louisiana and Texas. In 2004 my wife and I became owners of the Rockwall School of Music. I also serve as co-founder and Executive Director for the Children’s Chorus of Collin County, a non-profit choral organization”.
Mr. Russ’s teaching philosophy comes from a combination of his education and his teaching experience. In order for his students to be successful, they can expect the following from him:
“My most successful students are the ones who realize that music is not optional but a way of life. I want students to be motivated from within so that their at-home practice time is an extension of who they are and is motivated by their desire for excellence. Whether they are a voice or piano student, they can expect my undivided attention and thus I expect no less from them. I want my students to experience how their life is enriched daily through their music”.
…And now for something humorous from Mr. Russ!
Bet you didn’t know….”that I have an extensive McDonald toy collection at my house!”
